Aly Pratkelis Visits Section 36!

Photo David Schlatter

Section 36 had another visitor! Aly Pratkelis is passionate about giving children their voice, a talented kickboxer, and the current Miss Pikes Peak. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Aly Pratkelis visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Pikes Peak crown?

In Colorado, we do not have local competitions. Instead, it is a first-come, first-serve, and choosing a local title since the Miss Colorado Scholarship Organization is still growing! But I chose my local title as Pikes Peak because Pikes Peak is known as America’s mountain. Not only is this America’s mountain, but it is my favorite mountain and the reason I moved to Colorado Springs! We have the best views of Pikes Peak on my college campus, and when I was on the college tour, I fell in love with that view. This mountain has so much history and many different underlying themes that relate to my story. 

What portion of the Miss Colorado competition are you most nervous about?

I am the most nervous about performing my talent on stage. My talent is very unconventional, and I perform a routine that combines kickboxing and a monologue. I am nervous because this is a sport that I love and have learned so much from, and I want to make sure I emulate the values of the sport on stage. 

What is something that Maura Aisling is doing as Miss Colorado that you would want to emulate? 

Maura Aisling is nothing short of unapologetically authentic! She holds true to herself 100% of the time, which is so needed in the world, and I want to emulate that same thing inside and outside of competition. Maura also is a fantastic advocate for creating change in the political sector regarding mental health in the military. She inspires me every day to continue working to be an advocate for survivors of sexual assault. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Voice for the Voiceless”?

At 11 years old, I was sexually assaulted by a teacher at my middle school. I did not know what to do at that age. But when I did at the age of 14, I took my voice back. I can attribute my healing to the support system that equipped me with the necessary resources, compassion, and unconditional love that allowed me to heal and recover. Not everyone is this lucky regarding their support system at home. That is what sparked my idea to be an advocate for better education and legislative change surrounding child sexual abuse and sexual assault. Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, and every 9 minutes, that person is a child. So many of these survivors are left without a voice, and legislation and education are failing them. After learning from my own story and healing journey, I felt like it was the perfect way to use my experience to lead the effort in child sexual abuse and sexual assault prevention. Voice for the Voiceless is about empowering people to use their voices to speak up while also giving survivors a voice in education and at the legislative level. 

What do you enjoy most about performing your kickboxing talent on stage?

I have not performed this on stage, but I spend countless hours rehearsing this in the gym, in my apartment, in the dance room at the gym, and pretty much everywhere I can. But my favorite thing about performing this talent is how strong and at peace I am when I do it. There is a very calming aspect to it for me. I choose this talent because I have fallen in love with the sport, but I also want to show little girls that they are not limited to ballet, gymnastics, or cheerleading. Instead, they can kickbox or do any martial arts. I also want to show that while I love traditional talents, there are so many unconventional talents that can be showcased on stage. Finally, kickboxing is what makes me feel strong and confident in my own body. I want to show survivors that this is an avenue that may help them in their healing journey. 

You are studying Criminal Justice and Psychology. Where do you hope those fields will take you?

I started college to go to law school and then pursue a criminal law career. This goal has not wavered. Instead, I have just added some more career pieces to my life. I ultimately want to use what I have learned in these fields to be a better advocate for survivors in the courtroom. But I am also pursuing avenues to create legislative change regarding child sexual abuse and sexual assault. Both Criminal Justice and Psychology play a significant role in these issues. They both increase my understanding of these challenging topics and make me a better advocate! 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would choose Moana! I have always had this love for sailboats, and I have no idea where it comes from, but I love them, and I would love to spend every second I could sail across the ocean! I may love my mountains first and foremost, but the ocean is a close second. But after all, who doesn’t love the ocean? 

If you had an extra ticket to a Colorado Rockies game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would take my roommate and best friend, Danielle. She and I have spent so much time going to the baseball games at UCCS, and we always have so much fun! We are graduating just in time for baseball season. Our next baseball game will undoubtedly be a Colorado Rockies game. Ideally, this would be the Colorado Rockies versus the Washington Nationals game! After spending a summer watching the Nationals play in Washington DC, I may have developed a second favorite team. Despite both being baseball teams with little success, both teams represent the two places I call home. Danielle shares my love for watching a good baseball game in the summer. That is why she would always be my first call if I had an extra Rockies (or Nationals) ticket! 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

One day I want to be able to throw the first pitch. This may seem cliche, but it looks so fun, and my throwing is so terrible that I think this would be quite comical for the audience to watch!

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I think it only seems cliche because it would be an incredible experience that everyone wants to try! 

As usual, I want to thank Aly for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss Colorado! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Aly during her journey as Miss Pikes Peak. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account. It's a great way to keep track of everything she has going on. 

Thanks again Aly, and good luck!

Maura Spence-Carroll Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Maura Spence-Carroll is passionate about military mental health, a talented singer, and the current Miss Colorado. I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So, let's see what happens when Maura Spence-Carroll visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Colorado crown?

I had a lot of friends and family fly in from around the country to support me, so we had a small get together. It consisted mostly of my family passing around the crown and my mom crying because she was so excited for me; there weren’t many food options, though, so my 2 close friends and I ended up going to Waffle House at 1am. The staff all laughed because apparently my teen had come in about an hour earlier! I’ve never been so thankful for a waffle and some orange juice in my life.

Do you have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Colorado? 

I have SO many goals I want to accomplish. I find myself having these big ideas, and the difference between now and a few weeks ago is that now I can enact them with more support. The biggest is one I doubt I’ll see during my year, but I can put the pieces in motion to change the way service members think of mental health. It’s a cultural shift, which is why it’s going to take time. The other main one is that I want to see the Brandon Act passed in Congress. It’s a bipartisan bill that would allow service members to receive confidential access to mental health care. I fully believe it would save lives once enacted, so service members don’t feel as desperate as Brandon Caserta did (for whom the bill is named after).

 

You’re the first Active Duty soldier to wear the Miss Colorado crown. What does that mean to you?

It’s surreal because I’m being posted EVERYWHERE – I found an article about me that was on the Yahoo News featured page. I’m Miss Colorado, first active duty soldier to compete at Miss America, all these other things – but I’m still just me. I didn’t expect to have so many people contacting me with messages of support and encouragement. I’ve had veterans tell me about their experience battling depression; mothers message me to say they appreciate me talking about mental health because they lost their child to suicide (those messages are the most heartbreaking), other soldiers tell me that they hope we can enact change because they know what it’s like living with a mental health condition. . . I see myself as the same woman I was before I was crowned, so it’s a true testament to the platform that being a state titleholder awards you.

 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “#EndTheStigma Surrounding Military Mental Healthcare”?

I noticed during my time that there were two barriers to service members seeking mental healthcare: social stigma, and lack of command support (which stems from the social stigma that exists). I decided to use the phrase “22 Too Many” because it became a cultural sticking point a few years ago, but also because I want to make it clear that doing pushups on social media in support, while heartfelt, isn’t enough. Research has shown that people who receive treatment for mental health conditions are less likely to commit suicide. We need leaders at every level who encourage service members to receive care. We need SMs to know that they won’t be judged for receiving that care. Most importantly, we need those who are comfortable talking about it openly discussing the ways that treatment improved their quality of life – from top to bottom of the ranks. Cultural change, legislature, and proactive care – THAT is how we prevent service members and veterans from committing suicide.

As a talented singer, what is your favorite part about performing on stage?

I love telling a story through music! There’s this electric thrill that comes from taking a piece and telling the story not just through the lyrics and melody, but through the emotional aspect, as well. My mom was a Celtic musician growing up, and my grandfather loved bluegrass – both of which are about the story told as much as they are the music itself.

 

You’ve been able to work at the Texas Renaissance Festival. What was that experience like?

That was one of the best jobs I have EVER had. I didn’t mean to audition, but my Aunt Christi convinced me to go to a rehearsal – and by the end of the day, I was on the Scottish court! I was on cast for 4 seasons, from 2014-2017, and I learned a lot about myself as both a performer and human. It also helped me with the anxiety and depression I developed at the time because I was newly homeschooled my first year, and my second season started a few months after my sister Kitty passed away. My cast “fairemily” lifted me and my family up when we needed it most, and I met some of my closest friends from my time there, such as my best friend Maddie!

 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Merida from Brave. She’s Scottish, I’m Irish (with a Scottish stepdad), and I would kill to be able to do anything as athletic as being a skilled archer! I’m assuming this includes being in her home for a week, and the Scottish Highlands are breathtaking.

 

As an Astros fan, If you had an extra ticket to an Astros-Red Sox game, who would you take with you? Why?

If I could invite ANYONE, I would invite Aubrey Plaza. I don’t know if she likes baseball, but I’m pretty sure her commentary would be hilarious regardless, and would only be better if she had no idea what was going on.

 

Real life? I would take my cousin Jackson. We grew up together, and we’re still close friends. He also only vaguely understands the rules of the game – that someone throws a ball and someone else hits it and runs – so, again, hilarious commentary. (I just called him to ask what he knows, and he said “I know there’s a ball and sometimes they run a lot”, so I was correct.)

 

Is there a feature or activity of a game at Minute Maid Park that you’d especially like to experience?

I would LOVE to throw out the first pitch at a game! I have approximately zero athletic ability, but to me that’s the perfect gig. I get to throw the pitch and then watch my favorite team play IN PERSON? Magical.

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I'd love to be able to do that as well! 

As always, I want to thank Maura for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Maura continues her time as Miss Colorado, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram and Facebook account. You can also check out the Miss Colorado website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

 
I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Maura, and good luck!